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How to start scrapping again?

QuiltyMom

QuiltyMom

I'll never run out of things to do!
Joined
Feb 3, 2012
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I've been gone almost all summer, and I haven't scrapped a page since June. I maybe scrapped two pages in June.

I'm sitting here at my computer trying to scrap, but I'm organizing and cleaning out my computer files instead. I have this problem every year and it gets worse every year, too. I just can't seem to scrap. I have sooooo many photos to scrap (not including the 5000+ that I have taken so far this summer, with one trip left to go). I also need to break out of the "scrapping the perfect layout" mindset and just get things done.

How do you snap out of it and get scrapping again after a break?
 
Try a template or pick a couple of photos that really move you. Don't worry about "keeping up" or being perfect just do a page to just create. Or do a challenge!

Since I am a hybrid girl, a trick for me is to "ground" myself from touching any of my supplies for about a week. Trust me...that gets me itching to start playing with stuff again. This includes any photo editing etc, so basically nothing on the creative scrappy side.

I have had a hard time since we lost one of our dogs in June. I honestly haven't touched anything until the past couple of weeks when I have had to. But now I am wanting to scrap and make stuff. I am still having trouble with journaling, but I figure that will work itself out over time.
 
Go to the Template Challenge and pick up Heather's fun template. Go "shopping" through your supplies until you see something that makes your heart smile. It may be a color, a style, an element, anything that makes you happy. Then start playing with them. You only need one photo for the template so it should quickly. Once you start playing your mojo should spark and you're off and running.
 
Current photos and a challenge. You are always creating a page for an album.... but I think you might benefit from just scrapping creatively. You psych yourself out. Thinking about scrapping all those pictures you DO have to scrap will take the scrappy mojo away. Scrap for the fun of scrapping. Those photos aren't going anywhere. :)
 
I agree with @KatrinaHunt13. For me, a template let's me scrap (1) without having to worry about figuring out the LO's composition and (2) gets me started more quickly cuz I can plop elements on the page and just get going. And yes, start with a recent pic that you love so that you are excited about scrapping it and also you won't spend a ton of time searching for "that perfect pic" to scrap.

I also save TIFF files of my fave LOs I've created and I'll use one as a template sometimes. It helps me cuz it's like my brain has an easier time scrapping cuz I know I can make something beautiful with that composition cuz I've already done it.
 
Great ideas ... I agree with grabbing a template so you don't have to think about composition and/or doing one of the challenges ... so there's a theme or a path already guiding you. Just have fun!

For me: a current fave photo that I just adore always gets me excited to scrap too! Or sometimes its a kit that is just so gorgeous, I feel super inspired to scrap with it. That usually gets me back in the groove.

I think not worrying about "keeping up" is important when you are jumping back in and that stress can hold you back. But, if you are a "scrap in order" or "project oriented/album scrapper" then it might be counter productive for you (and even more stressful) to just to grab a random photo (or photo)s and make a page like that. If you fall into this camp ... pick a specific event or album that you feel you need to get done ... and find a template or template series/album set and let the template do the work and just challenge yourself to make one page today.

Oh and I am encouraging you to post your finsihed page here ... so when you do get that one page done, we can all ooh and ahh over it and cheer you on. :cheer:clap ... come on ... you can do this!
 
jk703 said:
Current photos and a challenge. You are always creating a page for an album.... but I think you might benefit from just scrapping creatively. You psych yourself out. Thinking about scrapping all those pictures you DO have to scrap will take the scrappy mojo away. Scrap for the fun of scrapping. Those photos aren't going anywhere. :)
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Jenn, you know me so well! ha!

Thanks, Ladies. I think I just needed a bit of cheerleading. I literally took 3,500 photos during our trip to Scandinavia. EEk! Many of them will get tossed out, but I'll still have plenty to work with. I just need to get started!
 
I'm like Anne- I love the organizing part of it. Usually that will get me back in the mood to scrap if I've been away for a while. I get all of my new purchases unzipped and placed where they need to be and also make sure my photos are at least all downloaded and in my Lightroom catalog.

Do you have any ongoing or unfinished projects that you could pick up and work on? Sometimes having something that is halfway done makes the task a little less daunting and easier to just sit down and do.
 
Another idea is looking through Gaelle's gallery as she is the Scraplift challenge and maybe there will be one that reminds you of a picture in your collection.
The organizing might be overwhelming. I'd do it by day then. And just figure out what I want to do with that group. Makes the project far less. Pick the smallest day if you are motivated by completing things, or your favorite day
Or just do a challenge if you can pic a picture or two.
Putting it out there and asking for suggestions is a good first step.
 
Love the ideas above! For me, it's also a matter of telling myself I can't organize tonight. I have to scrap. That forces me to scrap instead of pushing it off doing other worthwhile things. If that makes sense?
 
I agree with the above that it's about starting somewhere, anywhere and then getting on a roll to get back into it (long breaks do the same to me too Jan), challenges will kickstart me but mostly it's a kit (& usually the themeing or wordart) that will spark something & direct me to what photo/s to use. (Sometimes templates leave me feeling 'OMG now which photo do i use?" especially if i have a zillion from a recent trip and i end up spending all my scrap time sifting thru my photo folders again).
And if i'm not feeling the mojo sometimes i pick a less than stellar photo about a not so important event, so that i can just play with paper and elements & if i am not feeling the LO is 100% when done, that's fine,the photo might never have seen the light of day otherwise
 
bestcee said:
Love the ideas above! For me, it's also a matter of telling myself I can't organize tonight. I have to scrap. That forces me to scrap instead of pushing it off doing other worthwhile things. If that makes sense?
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dos that work for you? i'm terrible at listening to my own orders... that's why i just don't keep chocolate in the house ;)
 
@QuiltyMom You have some fabulous suggestions here. I just wanted to pop in and give you some encouragement. I had a peek at your gallery, and you have a beautiful style. Don't let the number of photos you've just taken overwhelm you . . . nor the amount of photos from the past.

Having Olivia graduate last year and start college, I felt the push to get a lot of layouts done. But then I stopped with the pressure because, well, with her being gone, it gave me something creative to do. And I love looking back through older photos and remembering things. Now my attitude is: OH MY GOSH, I CAN SCRAP FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH ALL THESE PHOTOS! Not in a daunting way, but oh my, I have so much to look forward to creatively . . . so many special times to remember.

I'm rambling tonight, and sorry about that, just wanted to encourage you! ((HUGS))
 
I organize when I can't get into scrapping. I haven't loved a few of my pages lately, they were looking too similar. So, I did the ephemera challenge, which is so out of my comfort zone & that really helped me. Good luck!
 
bellbird said:
dos that work for you? i'm terrible at listening to my own orders... that's why i just don't keep chocolate in the house ;)
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With chocolate? No. With other things? Yes. I will put it down on my schedule for later this week, and that way I know it will get down, but that it's not priority right now. I do it when I'm overwhelmed with a huge to do list, like right now. I may not get it done on exactly the day I write it, but it'll get done, and it's out of my mind for the moment.
 
Oh boy do I know where you are coming from Jan! This summer has been exactly the same for me. I haven't even sat down at my home computer all summer. I think I've made about two pages all summer too and it's so frustrating. I get myself all worried about how far behind I am and then I don't know where to start. Usually the summer is slower for me, but not like this summer! I already have three weekends in the calendar to go scrapping with another friend. We hole up in our jammies and ignore the outside world. That will definitely help put me back in the right direction!

I definitely do better when I come off a slump, by organizing. I will create a folder for each page I want to create and then I copy the pictures I want to use in there. Then I will even create links to the folders of the kits I want to use and then I'll do the same for the template I want to use. Then when I do finally have time to scrap, I can create like a mad woman on fire! :giggle
 
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